Encounters: Dustin Farnsworth

Huntsville, Ala – The Huntsville Museum of Art’s (HMA) award-winning Encounters series of regional contemporary art continues with the intriguing three-dimensional art of an emerging North Carolina artist. Dustin Farnsworth’s hand-carved sculptures encapsulate his interests in character, story, craft, mechanics, composition, empathy, and social commentary. The exhibition opens June 26 and is on view through October 30, 2016.

“Dustin sees his work as far more than sculpture; he fills the roles of the architect, storyteller, and cinematographer to construct detailed, immersive experiences that lead the viewer deep into a visual narrative,” Peter J. Baldaia, HMA’s Director of Curatorial Affairs, said. “In Dustin’s words, he creates ‘lush, emotionally charged rabbit holes to fall into and explore.’”

Farnsworth grew up in a creative environment, but making art wasn’t his only outlet as a young man. His high school drama program helped instill in him an affinity for the theatrical, which is reflected in his current works featuring life-sized heads adorned with mixed-media headdresses that suggest architectural spaces.

“I was raised in a community based in industry, seduced by the sights and sounds of production,” Farnsworth said. “My work explores the narrative that unfolds as industry leaves these communities, and my hand-carved figurative sculptures blur the line between realism and vintage plaything.”

Farnsworth received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in woodworking from Kendall College of Art and Design at Ferris State University in his native Michigan. He has taught and lectured throughout the U.S. and is currently a Windgate Resident and Honorary Fellow at the University of Wisconsin Madison.

The Museum will kick-off the exhibit opening with an Artist Gallery Walk Sunday, June 26, beginning at 2 p.m. in the Grisham Gallery. The HMA Docents will host a reception following the program. The event is FREE for members and included in general admission for non-members.

Project support is made possible in part by The Alabama State Council on the Arts, Altherr Howard Design, and The Huntsville Museum of Art Guild. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with extended hours on Thursdays until 8 p.m. The Museum is also open Sundays from 12 to 5 p.m. The Museum is closed on Mondays and some major holidays. For more information, visit www.hsvmuseum.org or call 256-535-4350.